Muhammadu Buhari’s Legacy Exposed: How ‘Mai Gaskiya’ Left Nigeria Broken and Divided

On July 15, 2025, the quiet town of Daura in Katsina State became the center of national mourning as thousands gathered to pay their final respects to Muhammadu Buhari.

Chants of “Sai Baba” echoed through the dusty streets as his casket was lowered into the ground, a poignant farewell to a man many considered Nigeria’s moral compass. But while his supporters wept in reverence, social media told a different story.

On social media, hashtags like #BuhariLegacy and #NigeriaFailed trended side by side, capturing a country torn between admiration and disappointment. To some, he was “Mai Gaskiya”—the honest one—who championed discipline and fought corruption.

To others, he presided over a period marked by economic collapse, worsening insecurity, and deepening ethnic divisions. His death reignited a national reckoning: How could a leader praised for integrity leave Nigeria more fragile than he found it?

When Buhari returned to power in 2015, after previously ruling as a military head of state in the 1980s, it was on a wave of hope. His stern, no-nonsense image and personal frugality earned him admiration, especially in Northern Nigeria, where millions saw him as a saviour from decades of corruption and instability.

His campaign centred on anti-corruption and discipline, values that Nigerians longed to see restored. But once in office, Buhari’s war on corruption appeared selective. While the EFCC aggressively pursued opposition figures, close allies and political associates remained untouched.

Despite his strongman image, not a single high-profile conviction from his inner circle was secured, even as Nigeria fell to 154th out of 180 on Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. Critics argue that Buhari’s famed “integrity” served more as a shield for political loyalty than a genuine fight against graft.

His frequent medical trips abroad, totalling over 200 days in London during his presidency, also fueled suspicions and conspiracy theories.

The bizarre “Jubril from Sudan” theory, which claimed he had been replaced by a body double, may have lacked credibility, but it revealed a broader truth: Nigerians deeply distrusted a president who remained inaccessible and silent for long stretches, especially in times of crisis. His long absences, guarded public appearances, and health secrecy made many wonder: was he truly leading, or simply being protected by the machinery around him?

Buhari also inherited Africa’s largest economy with high hopes after the reforms of the Goodluck Jonathan era. Yet by 2023, Nigeria had suffered two devastating recessions. The unemployment rate jumped from 8.2% to over 40%, while inflation soared to 22.4%.

The naira collapsed, plunging from ₦199 to over ₦1,000 to the dollar, devastating purchasing power. His controversial naira redesign in 2023, launched close to election season, sparked chaos—long queues, cash shortages, and even reported deaths at banks.

His critics saw the move as a poorly executed economic gamble with political undertones. Buhari’s administration became infamous for slow decision-making; it took him six months to appoint a cabinet in 2015, delaying critical reforms. He refused to float the naira when advised to, worsening the currency crisis.

Meanwhile, the healthcare system deteriorated, prompting a mass exodus of Nigerian doctors—over 70% reportedly left the country during his tenure. His death in a London hospital, far from the crumbling institutions he governed, was seen by many as the final irony of his presidency.

Security, one of Buhari’s central promises, saw no meaningful improvement. Boko Haram, declared “technically defeated” by him in 2015, continued its reign of terror. Kidnappings and banditry surged, especially in the North, with over 10,000 abductions recorded annually by 2022.

His government’s heavy-handed, military-first approach ignored root causes like poverty and unemployment. The Southeast felt particularly alienated. Buhari‘s key appointments were seen as lopsided, favouring the North and excluding entire regions.

The Southeast had no representative in the National Security Council for years, feeding the narrative of ethnic favouritism. The 2020 #EndSARS protests brought these grievances to a boiling point.

The Lekki tollgate shooting, which left at least 12 dead according to Amnesty International, remains a stain on his presidency. Recent commentary from singer Portable blaming Buhari rather than Tinubu for the tragedy reflects ongoing questions about responsibility and command.

Buhari’s own words often sparked outrage and revealed an unsettling disconnect with modern Nigeria. In 2016, while standing beside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he infamously remarked that his wife “belongs to the kitchen and the other room,” a statement that drew international backlash and ignited the #NotInTheKitchen movement.

In 2018, he dismissed Nigerian youths as “lazy” during a Commonwealth event, triggering #LazyNigerianYouths as young people online clapped back, pointing to the lack of opportunities, not effort. These remarks weren’t just public relations blunders; they cemented an image of a leader disconnected from the aspirations of a youthful, digitally savvy generation.

Yet despite all these failures, Buhari retained a strong base. Supporters cite infrastructure achievements, such as the Second Niger Bridge, new rail lines, and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as proof of progress. At his funeral, the Ooni of Ife hailed him as “a symbol of unwavering devotion.”

His defenders argue that Buhari was one of the few Nigerian leaders not personally linked to major corruption scandals—a rare distinction in a country plagued by graft. They insist he was a victim of the country’s deeply rooted problems, a man who meant well but was overwhelmed by the system he tried to fix.

On social media, his memory is fiercely contested. While some users refer to him as a “failed president,” others share images of him in military uniform, quoting his early speeches with pride.

His death did not silence the debate—it deepened it. For every Nigerian who sees him as a principled patriot, there’s another who views his rule as a missed opportunity that left the country poorer, more divided, and more uncertain about its future.